


Today, We're Winners

by Genius_626



Series: Thespians [5]
Category: Beauty and the Beast (1991), Beauty and the Beast (2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, American Football, Coming Out, Hopeful Ending, M/M, Mother-Son Relationship, Resolution, Teen Romance, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, good parenting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-21
Updated: 2017-07-21
Packaged: 2018-12-04 06:51:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,677
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11549790
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Genius_626/pseuds/Genius_626
Summary: Gaston gets ready for the big game, and Lefou wonders if their relationship is worth the heartache.An immediate continuation of "Crossroads"





	Today, We're Winners

**Author's Note:**

> As it's planned at the moment, this is the second to last part of the series. 
> 
> Also, I know absolutely nothing about sports, but I was in the pep band in high school, so American football is the only thing I really have any sort of reference for. Excuse my lack of understanding as I attempt to write the bare minimum of the actual sporty sport game thing. 
> 
> Thanks for reading :D

When Gaston made it home from school, he walked in alone. The guilt gave him a heavy heart. He felt as if he'd robbed Lefou of his own home. Lefou needed time away from him, that much made sense, but the fact that Lefou couldn't have gone to his own home for that kind of solitude made Gaston feel exactly how he had that morning. Worthless. 

Gaston set down his bag at the kitchen table when Lefou's mother, Vivian, popped her head out from the kitchen. Looking around, she saw no sign of her son.

“Is Lefou not with you?” She asked.

Gaston shook his head and shrugged. He couldn't get himself to look her in the eye. “No. I don’t know when he’s coming home.”

Vivian stepped out of the kitchen and wiped her hands clean with a dish towel. “Is there some kind of rehearsal I'm forgetting about?” 

Gaston shook his head again. “No. Actually, we, um, sort of got into a fight. He said he might be at Belle’s for a bit.” He sighed, finally looking up, the guilt written all over his face. "I’m sorry I’m home and he’s not."

“Don’t apologize for that.” Vivian said, coming up to Gaston. “You know he can be a little dramatic, and this is probably your first real fight, right? What happened?”

Gaston was then ushered into the living room to sit on the couch. He sighed as Vivian laid a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

“I told him I wanted to join the army." Gaston said, looking up to see if Vivian would judge him. She only waited to hear more, so he continued. He told her everything.

“Well, it sounds like some space would help both of you to clear your heads." She said. "It’s hard dating in high school, let alone when you have to live together. You need space to breathe, and your situation definitely isn't helping. I'm actually surprised you two have made it this long without fighting, it's actually pretty amazing." Vivian laughed, trying to lighten the mood, earning her a small smirk from Gaston.

"I'm usually just happy that I can be myself around him, especially here. And I think he feels the same. But I don't know anymore."

"Most kids your age don’t have to deal with everything you two are. By tonight, you'll be talking to each other again, I know it. So how about you try to forget about this for a little bit and help me in the kitchen. Jeb was helping before he stepped out, and I need someone to slice the apples while I make the crust.”

“Are you making apple pie?” Gaston asked, a glimmer of hope reaching out from the darkness in his gaze.

Vivian smiled. “Now there’s the color back in your cheeks!”

For the next half hour, Gaston helped Vivian make her famous apple pie. It helped him to relax and get his mind off of things, which was just what he needed before the big game.

"What's the occasion anyway?" Gaston asked when they were cleaning up. "You only make this when we're celebrating something."

"Well, we'll be celebrating after your game tonight." She replied. "Whether you win or lose, you made it to the finals and we're all very proud of you."

“Thanks, mom.” Gaston said, a little choked up at the sentiment. It took him a moment to realize what exactly he’d said, and when he did, he saw the look on Vivian’s face. He’d have taken it back if she didn’t look so happy about it.

“Come here, my little boy.” She said, wrapping Gaston in the warmest of hugs. “You always will be, Ok?”

“Even if Lefou and I don’t work out? Wouldn’t that be awkward?” Gaston said, his face nuzzled against the top of her head, his back arched just a bit awkwardly because of their height difference. 

“Can you imagine the two of you breaking up and not staying friends?”

“I guess not.” Gaston said, giving a noncommittal smile as he pulled away. “I hope this doesn’t break us up. I know Lefou doesn’t want to lose me, and I don’t want to lose him, but joining the military doesn’t mean we have to break up, does it?”

“It depends on what you both want.” Vivian replied. “But if I know my son, he’ll hang onto you, no matter how far you go. He may be afraid of the distance, or the danger you might be in, but you’ll just have to trust each other.”

Gaston nodded. “Can you tell him all of that?”

“No. That’s your job.” Vivian said, playfully swatting at Gaston's arm. 

“I know, I know. Just thought I’d ask.”

…

It was nearing game time, and practically the whole town was getting ready to file into the high school field. Back at Maurice and Belle's house, Lefou was still debating with himself.

“Do you want to go to the game?” Belle asked Lefou. “I already told Adam I’d be there.”

“I think it’s funny that both of your boyfriends are competing against each other.” Maurice said, chuckling to himself while taking out a heavy coat from the hall closet.

Lefou's arms were crossed as he thought it over. “Part of me does, part of me doesn’t. I'm still mad at him, but I know he's sorry. I think a part of me wants to run away from him so that he can never hurt me again, especially when he goes off to the army.”

Belle looked worriedly up at Maurice, who's mind was already firing.

"Lefou." Maurice began. "Do you really think running away from your problems will solve anything? If you run from your feelings, will they really go away? Because if you leave Gaston, but you still have feelings for him, nothing will have been solved when he goes to training. Even worse, you'll be broken up and there will be even more heartbreak.

"Love is a strange power.” Maurice continued. “It motivates us, liberates us, gives us strength. It can also terrify us. If I were to give you any advice, it would be to stand by your love, for as long as you can. Yes, if he joins the army, he’ll be gone for some months at a time, he might even be in danger. But there’s a good chance that he’ll be coming home to you every time, and that’s a better deal then some.”

Lefou just then remembered that Belle’s mother had died of cancer when she was a little. Maurice rarely talked about her death, but it obviously still effected him.

“Right...that sounds right.” Lefou said. “I shouldn’t just throw everything away, that would hurt even more." He sighed, his heart still heavy, but the load had lightened somewhat. "I'd rather go the rest of this school year with Gaston in the closet and joining the army if that means that I get to be with him at all. Thank you, Maurice, for helping me see that.”

“You're very welcome. Now, will you be joining us?”

“Yes, please.”

…

In the locker room, the team was nearly ready to go out onto the field and face their opponents. Gaston was standing at his station, looking at himself intently in the hand mirror he'd propped up on the shelf of his locker. 

"Gaston, you Ok?" Tom asked, coming up from behind. 

Gaston looked up to see both Tom and Dick's reflections, and gave a curt nod. "It's just...this is a big moment." He said. 

Dick smiled. "Yeah it is. And we're gonna kill it."

Gaston turned to his teammates, his eyes staring at them intently. "I'm not going to pull any punches tonight. You have to be expecting the unexpected. Can I count on you to stand with me?"

"Yeah, man." Tom said, only a little weirded out by how serious Gaston was taking this. "You're our captain, we'll follow your call."

"Good." Gaston said. "Because I have a feeling I'm going for broke tonight."

Little did his teammates know that he wasn't really talking about his gaming strategy. Before the coach told them to huddle up, Gaston took one last look at himself in the mirror, and then reached into his bag and took out a musical program. He opened it and looked upon the year old pages, worn and creased from his frequent use of it. He looked on Lefou's image, happy and perfect on the stage. Gaston was terrified that he'd been the one to bring tears to his eyes, but he was planning to make up for that.

...

Lefou found his parents sitting in the bleachers near the front, so he, Maurice and Belle joined them. It was a cold night, and his parents had had the foresight to bring Lefou's best jacket. 

Both the teams came out onto the field, and the cheerleaders went about creating the "expected chaos" from the crowd, as Belle put it. Lefou watched as their home team ran onto the field, Gaston leading the pack, complete in his red and gold uniform.

"I kind of hate that I cant stay mad at him." Lefou said to Belle. "But he did apologize, so that's different, and appreciated."

"What is he doing?" Belle said, her attention having been on the field while Lefou was talking. 

Lefou looked out to see Gaston jogging towards the home side of the crowd, eliciting excitement from the cheerleaders. Taking off his helmet and throwing it into the grass, Gaston ran up to Stanley, who was the only boy cheerleader. Stanley then pointed in Lefou's direction.

"What the fuck is he doing?" Lefou said under his breath. Gaston ran a ways down the track the reach them, hopping onto the bleacher railing already looking flushed. The crowd cheered a little, and he waved at them before Lefou got up and approached him.

"You're delaying the game, you know." Lefou said. "Coach is gonna be pissed."

"The game can wait." Gaston said. "Kiss me good luck.'

"...What?" Lefou gawked, not believing his ears.

"Only if you want." Gaston said, ringing his hands on the railing nervously. "I'm ready to come out, right here, right now, so that we don't have to hide anymore. I want everyone to know how I feel about you--"

Before Gaston couldn't even finish his thought, Lefou's hands were on either side of his face and pulling him in. Their lips met in a tight lock, one that reunited them after only hours, although they'd seemed like years. Their blissful morning felt so long ago, and yet, this felt so much better. Being in the open and not cramped in Gaston's car. Being out and proud and in love, even in the face of uncertainty. 

Belle was the first to shout her approval, and others chimed in as well, to the surprise of both Lefou and Gaston. When they separated, Gaston couldn't contain his joy, and so he gave Lefou one final peck before jumping down from the railing.

"It doesn't matter how the game turns out." Gaston shouted, still looking at Lefou. "Because today, we're winners!" His smile wide and his eyes shining and filled with love for his best friend. Turning and running back onto the field, he met Stanley, who was waiting on the grass to hand him back his helmet. 

Lefou stood there paralyzed for a moment, both in joy and in fresh terror. What kind of criticism had they just invited into their lives? After a moment, he climbed back up the few steps to his party and groaned when his parents told them they'd taken pictures and video. Belle hugged him and held onto him for a good few minutes, very happy for him, but also a little worried about a few of their classmates staring at them from behind. 

On the field, Gaston returned to his team. 

"What the shit was that stunt?" Tom yelled through, spitting because of his mouth guard. 

Without hesitation, Gaston reached out for Tom's helmet, gripped the front, and yanked it towards him so that their faces were very close.

"That was called: making up to my boyfriend with a very grand gesture." Gaston said. "If you were even half as good to any of your girlfriends as I am to Lefou, I bet one of them would have stayed with you a little longer." He pushed Tom away and addressed the rest of his team. "If you have anything to say about the fact that I have a boyfriend, you can meet with me after the game and I'll kick your ass!"

"You've wasted enough time on this, Gaston." Their coach said. "We'll talk about this later. For now, everyone get to your positions!"

…

The game itself was more thrilling then Belle had anticipated. Of course she went to a few games here and there, but only recently, largely in part of both Adam and Gaston. The teams were incredibly close the entire night, and the crowd was going wild by the end of it. Even Maurice was getting excited, and he never went to the football games. Despite this, he did step away for a good twenty minutes, nearly missing the last few raucous seconds of the game. 

Lefou watched the last few seconds of the game so intently that he didn't realize he was standing. It was anyone's game at this point, and if Gaston fumbled or was tackled in this last run, then they'd lose the game. 

But Lefou wasn't nervous at all. No one made touchdowns like Gaston. 

So when Gaston did make that final touchdown, everyone else joined Lefou on their feet, cheering for their first victory in years.

Gaston threw down the ball and took off his helmet, raising it into the air and laughing. His teammates ran to him like they always did after a win, and Lefou teared up watching from afar. 

"I hope Adam isn't too disappointed." Maurice said. "He has quite the temper, doesn't he?"

"He's getting better, dad." Belle said, rolling her eyes. "And he's not that bad, it's just a game."

"If only Gaston's parents were here to see this." Lefou said. "I wish they could love him for who he really is."

"Funny you mention that." Maurice said. "Because I have some news for Gaston, once this is all over." 

Before Maurice could elaborate any further, Gaston ran up to the bleachers for the second time that night, heading straight for his little chosen family.

Lefou got up and collided into his boyfriend, making for a big, strong hug. Lefou didn’t care about the sweat and dirt Gaston was covered in, he was just so happy to have Gaston in his arms again, who was currently kissing the side of his face and squeezing him tight.

"We did it!" Gaston said, lifting Lefou slightly into the air for a happy moment. It was then that Gaston realized their exchange was being recorded. 

" _Mom_!" Both Gaston and Lefou said at the same time, which made them both stop and laugh at themselves. 

"Aren't my boys adorable!" Vivian said, her phone out, still recording. 

"When do we get pie and ice cream? I think I earned it." Gaston said, making Lefou turn to his mother. 

"Did you make pie?" He asked, as if it were the most important thing in the world. 

"Yes! Everyone is welcome back at ours for a little late night celebration."

...

That night at Lefou's house, everyone settled in for pie. Gaston was the last one to arrive, having stayed for a quick shower. When he got home, Maurice got to him first.

"My boy! I have something to give you."

"What?" Gaston said as the old man took him by the arm and led him right out of the house again. Belle and Lefou were too curious not to follow, so they all ended up outside Maurice's car.

"During the game, someone contacted me." Maurice said, explaining himself very cryptically while fumbling with his giant keyring. 

"...Who?" Gaston asked, a little afraid of the answer. 

"Your mother." Maurice answered, finally finding the car keys. "She didn't tell me much. What she really wants you to know is how sad she is that she can't do more. But I think this may be a start." He opened the trunk and revealed a two cardboard large boxes. "She packed your favorite clothes, electronics, keepsakes. Enough so that your father wouldn't notice them gone. Apparently, he's getting rid of most of your things."

Gaston froze for a moment, taking in this new information. His eyes watered at the thought of his mother coming to the game, even if she hadn't watched it, she'd been there for him. Slowly, he stepped forward and opened one of the boxes. Indeed, there were a lot of clothes, and shoes, and hair gels. He's been going months without all of this. He'd worn the same boots every day since his father kicked him out. He'd bought a few shirts from the thrift store to wear under the same hoody. He'd gone without extra hair gel or conditioner. He'd lived a different life, and he'd learned so much because of it. 

Hidden within one of his favorite leather jackets was a picture frame. This one had been on his night stand, it was a picture of himself and Lefou from when they were twelve years old, playing in the river one summer. Gaston instantly burst into tears as the sight of it.

Lefou came up and took the frame from him, wrapping an arm around Gaston's waist. "You think she knows about us?"

"Maybe she always knew." Belle said softly.

Gaston tried to compose himself. He looked up at Maurice. "Thank you."

"No need." Maurice said, reaching out to pat the boy on the back. "I said I'd be here if you needed anything, and I still am."

They went inside with the boxes, and Gaston was handed a slice of pie while they all calmed down from this very eventful evening.

...

After Belle and Maurice left, and Lefou's parents went to sleep, Gaston and Lefou were in the guest room. Neither felt tired, so they'd decided to reorganize Gaston's things.

"Ooh, I love this shirt on you." Lefou said, folding Gaston's clothes and putting them back in the empty box since there wasn't much closet space. 

"I had so many pairs of shoes." Gaston said. "I'm glad my mom picked the best two pairs. I never wore any of the others." He looked up at Lefou. "All this time I thought they both hated me, or at least didn't really know me that well. Looks like I was wrong."

"Sounds like the best time to be wrong." Lefou replied. 

"No kidding...I really thought I'd lost her. Maybe I can still have a relationship with my mom after all."

"And your dad?" Lefou asked. 

Gaston gave this some thought. "I'm not sure. Right now, I can't see him coming around."

Lefou nodded and went back to folding. Gaston checked his phone for the time when Lefou remembered something. "Do you think she's been paying your phone bill?" He asked, since that had been a mystery they'd yet to solve. 

"Probably." Gaston said. "It sounds like she's hiding a lot from dad. Why hasn't she tried contacting me before this?"

"Maybe she's still coming to terms with it herself." Lefou said. "She is still pretty conservative. Maybe this will be the thing that changes her mind, at least when it comes to general queerness."

"I can only hope." Gaston said, sorting through his clothes. He had piles of shirts, pants, underwear, socks, and then there were his things. The picture frame, his lap top, a few band posters, his tool box, even a few of his dumbbells were at the bottom of a box.

"I love this picture of us." Gaston said, gazing at the photo. "This is the only picture I ever wanted a frame for. I remember that summer like it was yesterday. It was when I really started falling for you."

" _Sap_." Lefou teased without hesitation.

Gaston stuck his tongue out at him. They snickered at each other. 

"What are we, thirteen, fourteen in that picture? You really liked me back then?" Lefou asked. He was done folding, so he was just sitting on the floor with his hands in his lap. 

Gaston looked up from the photo. "Yeah. I mean, I tried to forget about it, but there was no running from it. By this time last year, I'd fully accepted it. How you went so long liking me is the real mystery. How could you stand me?"

"Love is blind." Lefou deadpanned, earning a pillow to the face. "Hey!"

Gaston shot up to his feet and tried to run, but Lefou caught him and tackled him to the floor. They both landed with a thud, laughing hysterically at each other. 

"Oh my god, that was an epic move!" Gaston said. "Why weren't you on the football team?"

Lefou kept laughing. "Can you imagine me in that uniform?"

"Holy shit." Gaston said. "Well now I can. I am imagining it. God."

"Shit." Lefou said, smiling. "Are you going to be into stuff like role playing when we're older?"

"I guess we'll just have to find out." Gaston said, breathing a little hard and lying on his back. "And I do want to find out, like, a lot of things with you. Everything. For the rest of my life, I want to be with you."

Lefou scooted closer and rested his head on Gaston's shoulder. He reached up and took one of Gaston's hands, entwining their fingers.

"Me too." Lefou said, closing his eyes. 

Gaston laid there thinking about their future together. He closed his eyes and allowed himself to half dream about going to the army, getting married, having kids, discovering the world with the love of his life. Eventually, they both fell asleep on the floor in each other's arms. 

**Author's Note:**

> Forgive me for the terrible "no one ____ like Gaston" joke. I'm still berating myself for it. 
> 
> Brace yourself, the next installment will be an epilogue set at least ten years into the future.


End file.
